John Francis WALSH
Year of Birth: 1890
Place of Birth: Charters Towers, Queensland
Date of Enlistment: 22 September 1914
Date and Place of Embarkation: 22 December 1914
Ship: HMAT Ceramic A40
Rank: Major
Unit(s): A Company, 15th Infantry Battalion
Regimental Number: Officer
Died: 28 April 1915
John Francis Walsh was born on the 2 February 1890 in Charters Towers to John Walsh and Ellen Buckley. He was the youngest of 5 children, Mary Catherine born 1880, Edward 1882, Robert Joseph 1886, William John 1887 and John Francis in 1890.
He was educated at the boys Central State School Charters Towers and the Townsville Grammar School and was a forwarding agent and Military Area Officer of Cairns and Townsville.
John was engaged to Angela Theresa Hogan of Cairns.
He was recruited into the 2nd Infantry in May 1907 and was promoted to Sergeant in June 1908. Prior to his service in the 15thBattalion, Captain John Francis was promoted to Captain and embarked for Thursday Island on 8 August 1914 and was transferred to the Australian Naval and Military Expedition Force (AN&MEF) Far North Queensland Kennedy Regiment. An incident on board the “Kanowna” involving the firemen forced the immediate return of the troops to Townsville on 18 August 1914.
John Francis Walsh died of wounds at Courtney’s Post and is remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial. His promotion from Captain to Major was posthumous.
Online Resources
Photo John Francis Walsh – Australian War Memorial
NAA: B2455, Walsh John Francis, National Archives of Australia
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Cairns Post Saturday 12 October 1912 p7
Daily Mercury (Mackay) Saturday 21 November 1914 p5
The Telegraph (Brisbane) Saturday 21 November 1914 p10
The Northern Herald 7 May 1915 p5
Other Resources
The First Expeditionary Force: the Thursday Island Expedition: a collection of reference documents. Denis Bird, 2015 [CDFHS Library]
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